Pierrot to the Crown
by Bamboofoxfire Productions
Summary: Allen Walker, an unusual albino teen, is apprenticed to an aristocrat in the city of Solitude, running fetch-errands and being sold out to entertain at special parties and festivities as a popular Jester. The sudden assassination of his Master and a mysterious threatening letter left behind leaves him wondering as to the culprit, and sends him looking for answers. DGM AU[R&R!]
1. Prologue - The Return

**A/N:** Title may or may not change. Not sure yet. Anyway, I have some vague ideas of where this'll be headed, but still kind of smoothing out the plot kinks. For the most part I have it figured out where most of the important characters are and what their roles will be.

Feel free to leave some suggestions if you have any ideas as to where you might want this to go, pairings, et cetera. Definite hints of Allen x Lenalee pairing, but nothing is for sure just yet.

Probably going to nix the dragons and dragonborn plot entirely from this. Might have a dragon or two at some point but it'll be very rarely.

I toggle the category between regular DGM, Skyrim, and Crossover every so often/during chapter updates just cuz a lot of people don't peruse a lot of the crossovers sections frequently, so more people see it, is all.

Anyway, enjoy~

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**Pierrot to the Crown  
****A D Gray-Man / Skyrim Crossover Fanfiction**

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A weary sigh escaped the lips of the cloaked traveler, forming a wisp of white breath that spiraled skyward and vanished before monochrome silvery-blue eyes. Snow had not fallen on this part of the land yet, despite being so far north, but even this ideal warmer time of the year the air was crisp with the promise of frost and snow soon to come. Crystal shards glimmered on the surface of the soil in the darkness of mid-nightfall.

Insects and frogs chirped their raucous songs from the cover of trees and tussock in a steady hum that the teen liked to think of much like one of nature's many songs, for lack of any better way to describe it.

Without even thinking of it, having taken this route many a time before, he took right at a fork in the main road heading downhill rather than up. He had been travelling for some time and was ready to reach his destination and say To-Oblivion with everything else.

He was very much travel-weary.

Exhausted, foot-sore, irate, thirsty, hungry…mostly hungry.

He had passed up room and food at the Four Shield's Tavern, passing it up in favor of reaching his destination and calling it quits at that instead. He could always stop at the Winking Skeever if he really didn't want to go the extra distance home, but his levels of tiredness were quickly catching up with his levels of huger.

Sleep was starting to look a lot more appealing than food, which was saying a lot for the albino boy, who was infamous across many a town and city for his appetite and love of food.

The stone structures appearing over the rise and at the bottom of the hill were a welcome sight and the boy, whose hair was as white as freshly fallen snow and skin only a few shades too dark to match, picked up his pace a little, feeling just enough of his energy and enthusiasm renewed to put forth a little more effort to his steps.

_Solitude at last!_ He silently exclaimed, a small smile twitching at his lips, white cloak lined in fur furling out behind him as fine leather boots slapped down on stone-and-dirt roadway.

He passed by the watchtower, and through the outer gate, the main walls of the city coming into view. With a brisk stride, he crossed the distance and pushed open one of the heavy doors to enter the city, greeted by the lights of various tall structures of stone and wood – shops, mostly.

Still, it was good to return to his home city of Solitude.

For the most part the streets were empty. An older man holding a mug for mead stood outside a double-story tavern, half-grumbling and half-singing some folk song familiar amongst the land's people, another figure obscured by shadow hanging out under a building with eyes gleaming out of the darkness, and a few guards walking up and down the streets patrolling.

It was a familiar scene and one that the boy welcomed.

Walking along the path, the whitette made his way under a large bridge and into the residential district, passing several homes and coming to stop at the doorway of a rather impressive home; Proudspire Manor. Truly a much befitting name, the building only outmatched in size by the Bard's College and the Blue Palace as far as residence went, and occupied by far less people.

Taking a key from his pocket, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The inside immediately looked rather plain and was just as chilled as the outside, cast in darkness that made it difficult to see. Eliciting a sigh, the boy felt his way around, having become more or less accustomed to this, until finding what he was looking for.

One of the things anyway, feeling his way around again until he found the others. Laying some wood in a stone pit, he set to work lighting it with some kindling and flint until he had a steady fire going, warmth already filling the room to replace the cold that the very walls seemed to emanate otherwise. Having removed his cloak already, he warmed himself up by the fire a bit before gazing around, tiredness still tugging at him but he still had something important to do.

Walking down the short hall, he turned right to head up a flight of stairs. A brief scan of the second story told him that the person he was looking for was still above, though he had expected as much, and ascended to the third floor, which had a table and a separate bedroom with door hanging only a crack open, of which had a large canopy bed and various other furnishings about the room.

Nestled on the bed however was a man with wild red hair, much older than himself. What made the teen avert his eyes was the company he shared, both momentarily seeming unaware of his presence. A bit of clearing of his throat made short work of how much longer he remained unnoticed by both the man and woman.

"Oi, idiot apprentice, haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

_I'll remember that next time,_ he retorted silently. Of course the teen never outwardly made such remarks or disobeyed the man and instead forced a polite smile, looking a little sheepish.

"Sorry, Master. I assumed you would be asleep." He apologized. "But I've returned with what you asked me to bring for you."

The man regarded him for a moment through harsh, almost red-brown eyes. "Just leave it on the table outside my room, and shut the door on your way out." He ordered crisply.

"Of course." The boy said, turning to leave. Once again, the man's voice stopped him.

"Oh, and Allen."

"Yes, Master?" Normally he would have turned a questioning look towards him but decided it better not to in this case.

"There's going to be a party tomorrow bright and early at the Blue Palace, and you're going to attend. Take a bath and get cleaned up and ready for it, you're absolutely filthy."

The adolescent nearly wanted to scream at the man. Of course he didn't like to be dirty and sweaty but he'd been walking for over a day and right now sleep took priority over absolutely everything else in his mind.

Even so, he only sighed in resignation and nodded his head, knowing that he didn't have much choice in the matter.

"Yes, of course, Master. It shall be done."

"Good, now leave us be." The man said in something of a husky tone. "I have other matters to attend to."

Resisting the urge to make a face, Allen shut the door and left the bag of coin on the table, deciding it wise to take the man's advice and leave them alone, walking off to go and draw a bathe to get washed, and then would have to pick out something nice and formal to wear afterwards and hope he had time for a little sleep in-between, before being dragged off to some 'party' against his will.

Unlikely, but one could always hold out hope.


	2. Assassin's Letter

_I think Draugr get better sleep than I do these days…_ Allen silently lamented even as he stifled a yawn. He certainly _felt _like the walking dead right now. It seemed as if he'd had just enough time to close his eyes before they were open again and he was dragged off by his Master to attend this aforementioned party that he had no desire to attend.

The Blue Palace was a great place and all, but sleep was an even better place, at least at the moment. And the lack of chairs, and having to stand – having to stand was the absolute worst right now, his feet silently pleading to have the weight taken off of them, but unfortunately he could not comply with them at the moment and instead just tried to find other things to focus on.

He smiled to a boy that couldn't be much older than him by appearance, with frizzed hair, tied down just behind his ears into two poofs, named Johnny if he remembered correctly. The other young male seemed to really like him and likewise Allen found it easy to get along with his personality. Johnny could really talk though…and talk, and talk, and talk, and talk some more.

The albino teen was trying really hard to focus on what he was saying but really his attention kept fading in and out, his tired mind only catching about half of what the other was saying. He hoped that Johnny just wouldn't notice the exhaustion tugging at his eyes or his smile and dampen the other boy's mood.

Besides just being boisterous and still perhaps a bit too overbearing and clumsy, Johnny was quite an intelligent and skilled individual, especially for his age. He was a great tailor, a decent herbalist, at least a moderate historian, and had a really strong passion for practical crafts and technology like blacksmithing and the study of ancient Dwarven machinery and automatons.

Really the only one who had a greater passion for the craft and study in machinery was-

"_Allen_!" A yank on the back of his shirt made the boy elicit something of a yelp and looked uncertainly to a taller man with shoulder-length black hair and dark eyes, looking particularly serious.

"Um…y-yes, my Jarl?" He stammered, starting to recover from the sudden action. Offering him a smile and being only a touch more alert, he questioned, "Are you in need of my services to entertain your guests?"

"No, that won't be necessary," he replied, shaking his head with an odd look in his dark eyes as he regarded the boy. "I need you for another task. It's of the _utmost_ importance!"

_Here it comes…_ Allen predicted to himself, once again offering the man a polite smile.

"Um…would it have to do with the young Lady Lenalee?" The slight gleam in the man's eyes told him he was correct even as the man clapped a hand on either shoulder.

"Yes! Be her escort throughout the party, don't let her out of your sight. And most importantly, don't let any skeezy old men too close to her!" He said in such unwavering seriousness that it could easily be called comical. As if to add emphasis to this statement he turned his gaze on a shorter blond man not far away, mingling with and talking to many of the other guests. "Especially not him."

Allen had to resist laughing softly, recognizing the blond that the black-haired male seemed so intent on. The blond had persistently sought after and insisted on taking the girl's hand in marriage ever since she came of age. Really his intentions weren't really bad, but that didn't stop the over-protective older brother from blocking his every chance at wedding his baby sister.

Still, he would do as asked, eager to please, and offered something of a small bow.

"Don't worry, my Lord, she'll be safe with me." He assured, earning a smile in return and appreciation from the man's gentle eyes.

"Good lad. She should be preparing her attire within her room. You know where."

Allen merely offered a dip of his head and turned to go and find the girl's room, knowing the destination already and pausing just outside the door, giving it a few taps with his fist and patiently awaiting a response.

A muffled _"come in"_ signaled that it was safe for him to enter and he pushed the door open, greeting a long-haired petite girl with his customary smile, unable to help but eyeball her flowing attire of blacks and whites.

"You look beautiful, Lenalee." Allen offered up in a gentlemanly manner, offering her a hand to escort her out, as was only proper. She returned his smile even as she took his hand.

"And you look handsome tonight as well."

Allen only chuckled softly as he took the lead, minding his pace. "Oh yeah?"

Lenalee only nodded in response before changing the subject slightly. "My brother asked you to tend to me, didn't he?" She guessed easily as they walked down the stone hall towards the main festivities, receiving a nod of confirmation from the pale youth.

"He set me as your guard dog again from any possible suitors. He seems especially concerned about the head of the Chan family, of course."

Lenalee sighed and shook her head. "Well I suppose it could be worse. He could be forcing me into marriage instead." She acknowledged, still finding her brother's protectiveness a bit stifling but trying to find a bright side in all of it. Besides that, none of them interested her anyway.

The one that she really wouldn't mind spending her life with if it were to come to that…

Her dark eyes shifted to Allen, who was focused ahead as they walked, becoming acutely aware of the warm hand that led hers. He was far more kind and truly gentlemanly than any of her suitors, but he was of a different social class which was typically frowned upon.

Coming out to the main foyer of the palace, they moved to mingle and talk with others, Allen making it a point for them to dodge the blond with the romantic interest as per the Jarl's wishes and keep close watch on Lenalee, even knowing that she probably didn't really even need it. Still, she didn't protest his company either and rather enjoyed him being there so he chose to honor that as well.

For a while he had hit his second wind and regained a bit of his alertness, and the prospect of free food and drink offered helped him through the party, but sleep deprivation started to catch up with him once more in greater influence than before.

As they were interacting with the other guests he couldn't help but notice a certain wild redhead amongst the group, with at least a couple of women practically hanging off of him. Really if there were any sleezy old men for the Jarl to be concerned about it was his Master…

Likewise the man, a glass of wine in one hand and a woman hanging on the other, noticed the boy and offered him a slurred smile, staggering up with a gait that clearly said he was more than a little buzzed off of the alcohol.

"Hey, idiot apprentice…shouldn' you be entertaining all these fine folk? 'brought you 'ear to serve fer the party under request, not t' be served, now quit slackin'!"

"I requested the Jarl if my services were needed already, Master, and he said that he didn't and enlisted me to be the lady's bodyguard for the evening." Allen explained patiently.

His Master laughed roughly and raised his glass, noticeably careful not to spill any even in his drunken state.

"Cozying up to the lady's, eh, boy? I see there's some things I can teach you after all!"

Allen blushed slightly and shook his head a little too quickly. "It's nothing like that. I'm simply providing my services as requested." He defended in a tone that was a couple octaves higher than usual.

"Aren't we all," the man slurred even as he smirked smugly and shamelessly rubbed noses with the woman hanging off his arm in a manner that could be called affectionate by most.

Of course Allen knew his Master was more of just a womanizer who loved having multiple women, never one to devote himself to a single one, so the action sat more ill with him than anything.

"Anyway, I'm going to retire for the evening for a little one on one festivities for a while, maybe return to the main party when I'm done," he announced. "You continue to work here until the party's over and you're dismissed, understood?"

Allen sighed even as he felt that familiar yearning for a pillow and blanket to curl up with, eyes heavy with lack of sleep, but nodded none the less. "Yes sir."

"Good. I'm counting on ya'!" The man waved as he left the group scene to go off somewhere else and do things better left out of mind.

After the man and his newest hook-up had left, Lenalee appeared at his side, tilting her head at him slightly.

"Allen?"

He blinked as his attention was brought back to her and he forced a smile. "Um, yes?"

"Are you alright? You don't look entirely well…"

"Oh, um, I'm fine, really." He defended, holding his hands up in a placating manner. She continued to gaze at him in concern.

"Cross hasn't been working you too hard, has he?"

"No, not at all. Really. Nothing more than usual." Allen insisted. "Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix."

"My brother said that you were away earlier today when he sent a request for you to attend. You were travelling yesterday to get here, right?"

"Well, yes…" Allen admitted sheepishly. "But, it's really nothing huge. I mean…I go lots of days without much sleep, it's really nothing to- hey, wait! Lenalee! The party's back there." He motioned even as she grasped him by the hand and pulled him along a bit forcefully, the teen stumbling along behind her before finding his feet enough to follow her brisk steps.

"My brother told you to accompany me wherever I went, right?"

"Um, yes?" Allen answered uncertainly.

"Then follow me to my room, Mister Walker. After all, you wouldn't want to leave me unaccompanied with all of these skeezy old men around." She said coyly, casting him a smile.

"Of course not, my Lady." Allen replied with a slight flush of embarrassment, following along until they had reached her room, Lenalee stopping alongside her bed.

"You can rest in my bed." She announced, Allen once again turning a more rosy hue.

"My Lady, I can't…it's not a proper thing to do." He protested weakly, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Nonsense. You would never do anything so it's perfectly proper." Lenalee maintained.

"But-"

Huffing with impatience, Lenalee moved to push him onto the bed, the teen falling back and looking at her with slightly wide eyes.

"Now you lie there while I go change into something less formal and showy, and you're going to stay there and face somewhere else without looking. That's an order from your escort."

"A-alright…" Allen murmured, seemingly having opted to simply submit to her will. Smiling in satisfaction, Lenalee walked off to do as she had said in another spot in the room, Allen of course making it a point to look elsewhere, only moving to unstrap the sword he always kept at his side and rest it against the bed, until she had finished changing.

Or rather, so went the plan, sleep crashing down on him before he had the chance to see her change in attire, which had more or less been the initial plan anyway.

When Lenalee returned she was dressed in a long and simple dress-like gown that stopped just above her feet, smiling softly as she came to sit on the bed and idly traced a hand over the side of the teen's face, brushing aside and playing with his white hair.

Even in sleep he looked innocent and like the perfect gentleman. And for the night she had him all to herself to enjoy his uplifting company.

* * *

Admittedly Allen was quite enjoying his sleep…until he was rudely awakened by a hand violently shaking his shoulder and in turn jarring him awake. Opening his platinum eyes to see the dark-haired older brother only made his sleep-addled mind rather confused. Why was the Jarl of Solitude in his house…?

Wait, no, that wasn't right…why was _he_ sleeping in the Blue Palace?

His gaze travelled over to the sleeping female form of Lenalee curled up on the other half of the bed and he was instantly brought fully awake, struggling to sit up and his expression somewhat panicked as he looked up at a very grim, overprotective older brother.

"Komui…erm…Jarl, sir, this isn't what it looks like! Honest! The young Lady…she insisted I lie down for a nap and well…I didn't know she would join me and-" he stammered, falling deathly silent as a hand clamped down on his shoulder, nervous blue eyes looking up into unusually serious dark hues as a hand grasped his chin and made him look the man in the face.

A knot of dread twisted in his gut and, despite the situation and all previous experience of the man's over-reactiveness towards anyone being in a compromising situation involving the girl, something in the back of his mind told him that the two had nothing to do with the other.

Something else was very wrong.

"Allen, I need you to get up and come with me, right now." It was obviously an order that he was not meant to disobey and at the moment he wasn't sure that he wanted to. Then again he wasn't sure that he didn't want to disobey either, but didn't have a choice and simply nodded.

"Yes. Alright…"

The man simply sighed and backed up, allowing him room to stand from the bed and re-secure his sword to his belt. Lenalee stirred and gazed at them in confusion, still half-asleep as she watched them start to leave.

"Lenalee, stay here. Do not even leave this room." Komui ordered in a strained sort of voice, shutting the door and leading Allen into the main chamber of the Blue Palace in uncomfortable silence. The hairs on the back of Allen's neck prickled and he couldn't help but wonder what had the man so serious.

"Um…sir? This isn't about my sleeping in the bed, is it? Really, nothing happened, I just-"

"Quiet." Komui said, his voice almost impossibly soft but Allen obeyed none the less despite the fear and uncertainty creeping up his spine. "You'll find out what this is about soon enough."

Those words didn't help to quell any of the teen's fears but he simply nodded in silence, gulping softly, and continued to follow at Komui's heels briskly, a few guards coming to accompany the man as they stepped outside of the Blue Palace and into the street.

Was he in trouble…?

Were they going to do something to him to punish him?

What was this about?

They came to stop just outside of Proudspire Manor and Komui stepped aside, a mutilated body laying supine across the street, in blood. A body that Allen was far too familiar with and had never imagined he would see in such a state. The shock alone was almost enough to make him wretch but he managed to keep himself together enough not to do that, much less under such scrutinizing eyes, but his own were wide with horror and disbelief.

Everything he could've said died in his throat for many minutes as he tried to find the right things to say and fell woefully short. He was aware of a hand on his shoulder steadying him, dark eyes filled with sympathy, and after a while he finally managed to find his voice albeit hoarse and trembling.

"What- what happened?"

"We don't know…it was still a time after death that we were made aware of this." Komui admitted somberly, his face troubled. "The only thing we know is that he was murdered. We were hoping you may have some ideas…you were his apprentice after all."

It took a few seconds for the words to register and Allen shook his head in the negative, his eyes downcast and his body quivering somewhat in the darkness of night. After a few moments, Komui's voice rang out more sharply.

"Guard, make sure this body is properly removed and prepared for burial, and clean up any signs of this off of the street before daybreak. We don't want the rest of the city spreading too much word or getting into a panic. Double the patrol and take in anyone suspicious and especially unfamiliar for questioning." He paused as his gaze swept back over to Allen, the youth still visibly traumatized by the sudden and unexplained death, dark eyes softening before he ordered more softly, "Escort Allen and I back to the Palace and keep on alert. We don't know where danger may be lurking tonight."

The guards went about their tasks before Komui stepped over to place a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on, Allen, we should return to the Palace. We can try and sort this out there, and it may not be safe for you here."

It took a little bit of a tug but Allen moved to follow, only to stop short and his eyes returned to the body, stepping towards it to kneel down and finger the edge of something partially obscured by blood. The feel of the surface alone told him that it was parchment, the body picking it up.

A folded paper…with a wax seal on it. A letter?

Breaking the seal and unfolding it, part of the paper was still stained with and obscured by blood, but still readable, the words for unknown reasons creeping chilling ice into his chest.

_**The time for hunting has begun. The hunting of Hearts beating in the darkness. He was the first – and you'll all soon follow. So let us begin this game you cannot win. **_

_**Good luck~**_


	3. Next Steps

Half-lidded monochrome eyes gazed back from the narrow circle of liquid held between each palm. At the moment nothing really felt real, like a bad dream, the teen still trying to make sense of everything in his head and fit the pieces into place but they weren't quite clicking.

Again and again, the same thought spiraled through his head – _Who would kill Master? _– not finding any answers to this silent question and doubling back again as if the next time the answers would come to him.

The first thought that came to mind was that it could be someone out to collect unpaid money…especially with some of the people that his Master owed. Some of them were definitely the type to kill if they weren't paid in a manner timely to their liking. Since Allen was usually the one left to have to work off his Master's debts and expensive living, he knew first-hand more than anyone what some of these people were like.

Another thought that came to mind was a jealous or enraged man finding out his Master had made sweet on a woman or sister of his…after all, his Master loved women and was more than a little lecherous. It wasn't entirely unheard of – actually rather common – for that to happen when a man discovered such things done by another man.

It could've been a Hit as well…a contract to the Dark Brotherhood. Master had plenty of enemies, so it wouldn't be surprising.

Maybe even just a random mugger trying to shake down his Master for his riches and was unhappy to find his Master had less money than he seemed to look and live by.

Of course all of these guesses vanished relatively quickly when thinking back to the letter left on his Master's corpse.

Money collectors were still a possibility…but unlikely. Unless they intended to come after him as well to try and reap whatever coin they could, rather than settling for his Master's death.

A jealous or enraged man avenging his women's purity would simply settle for the death of the one responsible.

It definitely wasn't a random mugging.

The Dark Brotherhood simply wasn't that sloppy. Their hits were typically clean and anonymous, unless this was a part of some greater plot. Could it have been?

This one gave the boy the most amount of pause. It wasn't entirely ludicrous to suspect that perhaps his Master's murder was simply to work up to something more impacting. After all they were known to have assassinated Emperor's in the past, during the Oblivion Crisis, though nothing quite so flashy since then.

That wasn't to say that it wasn't a possibility though. Could the Dark Brotherhood have been contracted for an even bigger murder? Was his Master's assassination simply a casualty to cause that of another?

It was a possibility…though he was a lecher and owed vast amounts of gold, the man still had definite connections in high places, especially after lending out Allen to provide services for others high up in power and influence and gain more favor.

Who else was at risk, then? Was his own life in danger? The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and his eyes nervously scanned the shadows of the room, as if he expected an attacker to appear and try to slash his throat any second.

Normally he was relatively calm and collected, able to relax under great amounts of strain, but the unexpected death and all the unanswered questions as to how and why left him feeling vulnerable and uncertain.

Would someone try to kill _him_ next?

_No…why would they want to assassinate a lowly servant? It wouldn't serve any purpose._ He tried to reason and settle himself, reaching a hand up to massage his temple as he felt a stress headache beginning to form.

So then who were the unknown assailant's other possible targets? Quite a few, actually…

His silvery eyes shifted up as Komui approached, his face still troubled and sympathetic as he came to stop in front of the boy.

"Allen, how are you doing?" Concern laced his voice as he posed this question. A small smirk crossed Allen's lips but it was humorless and lost.

"I don't know…confused? A lot of things, really…doesn't seem like there's any words that can really convey any of it, though." His eyes shifted down to the mug of cider held between either hand and he idly swirled the cup around, the liquid threatening to spill out over the rim but not making it quite that far.

He could still feel Komui's eyes on him, pitying and filled with understanding, even if he didn't look up to see it himself.

"I can't believe my Master's been…" he trailed off at that point and couldn't seem to bring himself to finish, his eyes overshadowed by horror and grief.

"You cared a lot about your Master, didn't you?" Komui asked softly.

"He put me through a lot…" Allen stated honestly, blunt. "Way more than I ever wanted to have to put up with. He also saved me from a lot." His eyes shifted to his left hand, now ungloved since the earlier evening and party – dark red flesh that looked burnt and felt rough as rock – the deformity that had plagued much of his younger life and made him abandoned and outcast as a child. The grip he held on his mug tightened bitterly. "He took me in after my father died. Not many other people would've done that. Not with this damn arm anyway."

Komui hummed in response and silence lapsed between them for some time afterwards, Allen continuing to swirl his mug around as a distraction from the uncomfortable settling of absolute quiet.

"Well…at any rate, I want you to come with me. We have things that we need to discuss, and I think it best if you were with us when we do. He was your Master after all, and any bit you can provide would be invaluable if it helps even the smallest amount."

Allen merely nodded his head and stood, leaving his mug behind as he followed along to the chamber that many of the Palace's higher residence were gathered, each looking grim, some sympathetic.

Taking a seat in one of the chairs, Komui sighed wearily and massaged the pits of his eyes, obviously anxious over this entire ordeal.

"What we _know_ for certain is that Cross' death was no accident. This was a deliberate murder. What we don't know is why – and by whom. We're sure that whoever did it fled the city by now, probably even before we were aware of the murder. Exactly what this means, I can't be sure just yet…but it's obvious by the letter left that this isn't the end of it, and we need to be prepared."

Silence permeated the room afterwards and Allen decided to speak when it became apparent that no one else was going to.

"What if Master wasn't really the target at all?" He proposed in a somewhat quiet voice, his gaze shifting uncertainly around the room to the other occupants. He seemed to have their attention, Komui's the most of all as the man leaned forward and clasped his hands over his lap.

"Exactly what are you suggesting, Allen?"

"I mean…if perhaps he was just a lesser target leading up to a bigger one…" Allen continued, not sure how this prediction would be taken but giving it none the less. "Based off of the letter…the threat written into it that there are other people in mind for whoever did it to kill as well. All of you might be in danger." He was most hesitant about the last part of his statement but figured that it needed to be said, and likely they had similar thoughts.

Komui seemed to be seriously weighing what Allen said in his mind, carefully considering the words before deeming it appropriate to speak again.

"It's a possibility…whoever committed the act obviously intends on more, that threat was made quite clear." Even as he spoke, several of the room's occupants glanced at each other and around the room nervously, some more inconspicuous than others.

"Is it the Brotherhood?" Allen questioned uncertainly.

"I don't think so…" Komui shook his head and picked up the letter that had been folded on the table in front of him. "The wax seal that was left isn't in any way associated with them in any sign or symbolism I can tell…in fact, I'm not sure who the seal belongs to, but it's one I don't recognize. However, I'm not completely versed in every seal that exists, or whether this is that of an individual or a group."

"So what are we going to do about this?" Another man about Komui's age, with unruly blond hair, questioned.

"That's a good question…what _are_ we going to do about this?" Komui parroted in exasperation. "We're groping around in the dark at the moment, and I'm sure that's just how our mysterious assassin likes it."

Once again, silence followed, Komui seeming to mull something over in his head before coming to a decision.

"Given circumstances, I think we have no choice…Reever?" His dark eyes shifted to the blond man. "Please see to it that a letter is written up and sent to Cyrodil to request aid. I have a particular person in mind – you know the one?"

Reever gave it a moment's thought before nodding his head.

"Yeah, I believe so."

"Good. See to it immediately, have it sent by horseback as swiftly as possible. They're to leave as soon as physically possible and rendezvous in Whiterun. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Reever nodded, taking that as a dismissal and walking away.

"Johnny, see to it that any necessary provisions are gathered up properly and prepared for a trip to Whiterun."

"Alright," Johnny nodded, sauntering off to do just that.

"Allen?"

The white-haired teen perked slightly and gazed at Komui in confusion. "Um, y-yes?"

"I hate to do this now…but I'm sending you elsewhere. I need you to trust in my judgment, is that understood?"

"O-of course…" Allen relented with a hint of uncertainty and confusion.

"I want you to leave here and travel to Whiterun to meet with someone. From there the two of you will travel to Winterhold, and take this letter with you to the college. I can't say for sure that they'll have anything to tell you about it, but it's a starting point, at the very least." The man informed.

Allen hesitated for a moment before nodding his head slightly. "If that's what you wish, my King."

* * *

Allen sighed even as he checked over the supplies Johnny had brought for him. Really they weren't anything he didn't already have at home to prepare but High King Komui had insisted he stay away from that place, as a precaution. He supposed he couldn't blame him, with what was currently going on.

Re-packing his supplies, he picked up his white cloak and swung it around to rest on his shoulders, securing the latch on the front so it would stay in place.

It wasn't unusual for him to be sent off to some other city across Skyrim or even other parts of Tamriel, but never under such circumstances, and never under someone else's command other than his Master's.

The image of the man's mutilated body flashed through his head, not for the first time, and he found himself suddenly feeling ill, heavily sitting down on the edge of the room's bed and resting his head between his hands, willing the thoughts and the mental imagery away before he became more physically sick.

_He's really dead. My Master, gone, just like that. What next? Am I going to lose more people now?_

Despite that he knew he shouldn't delve into such thoughts, he couldn't help but do so, these ideas not helping at all with how he was feeling.

"Allen?"

The albino jerked up to gaze at Lenalee, the girl standing in the doorway of the room looking hesitant. The teen forced a smile and greeted her as politely as ever, though his voice was noticeably softer.

"Hey, Lenalee."

"My brother told me that you were leaving." She seemed to deem it safe to enter and approached to sit on the bed to his right.

"Yeah…seems so. I shouldn't be gone long, though. I mean, it's not all that unusual for me to go on trips, you know?"

"Don't do that…" Lenalee hissed in something of a choked voice. Allen blinked and glanced over in confusion, noticing tears shimmering in her eyes.

"Do what?"

"Smile like that and say those things…when things are going so wrong. You always do that. I hate it. You _know_ I hate it."

Allen sighed and clasped his hands together in his lap, looking down at them though his smile didn't disappear, but didn't say anything in response, aware of her weight against his side.

After what seemed an eternity he finally shifted to stand up, gazing over at her with the same forced smile.

"I need to be going…but I'll be back. I promise. Things will turn out okay." He couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt for making her cry, but tried to offer up what reassurances he could at the very least.

Gathering his things, they made their way to the foyer of the Blue Palace hand in hand, Komui waiting for them by the door.

Allen blew out a slight breath, trying not to let any of the stress and anxiety he was feeling internally show too much, offering Komui the same smile he'd given Lenalee.

"I'm off to Whiterun." He announced. Komui nodded grimly and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful out there, and come back to us alive and in one piece."

"I will." Allen nodded, sounding more confident than he felt about that statement. After a few moments Komui moved aside to allow Allen to pass, the teen opening the door and pausing to glance back. "Farewell."

With that, he continued on his path to leave Solitude and head to Whiterun as instructed, silently hoping as he did that it wouldn't be a last farewell.


	4. Start of the Journey

Allen blew a long-suffering sigh out through his nose as he climbed out of the small boat onto the shore just across the way from Solitude and the East Empire Trading Company docks. He still recalled the plan he'd been more or less subjected to listen to and follow with Komui not too long ago and what he was to do from here on out.

"_Allen, listen carefully. There's a very real possibility that you could be a target as well. More than likely the assassin, whoever they are, will assume you to take the main road if you leave at all, since it's the most sure-fire way to reach wherever you need to go from Solitude. That's why you mustn't exit through the main gates, go the route that takes you directly under Solitude. A guard will be waiting for you to ferry you across from there."_

Allen had of course done as asked, and met the guard at the edge of the water in the shadow of the huge stone archway that supported much of the city. Even with the guard present, he couldn't help but gaze around in wary alertness, still nervous of a possible assassin just waiting to shoot him through the back of the head with an arrow or sneak up behind him and slash his throat.

If anything, the measures that Komui was going to in order to see him safe was doing the opposite of putting his mind at ease. They were only reinforcing the fact that there was an ever-real, present danger on his life and, really, if they wanted him dead very badly he was sure they'd find a way to accomplish it, safety measures or no.

Upon reaching the shore he climbed out, watching even as the guard rowed the boat back to the other side before he himself turned around to gaze out across the open wilds, still feeling scared despite that he tried to push such feelings aside.

"_Head to Morthol from there through the swamps, and do not stop until you reach it. Be on high alert at all times. Possible assassin aside, there are entirely other sets of dangers to face out there that may threaten your life. You can't let your guard down."_

He was pretty sure he should've been insulted by that, actually…

He had braved the wilds many times before and had to literally fight to survive. The wilderness was not a completely foreign place for the boy and he would never in a million years admit to anyone some of the measures he'd had to go to in order to stay alive.

The teen shook his head and had to remind himself that the man was only worried for his well-being. After all there was an assassin on the loose that none of them knew what the person looked like, where they were from, or even what their intentions or targets were. No doubt Komui was under a lot of stress and just trying to find the safest way for all to get through this whole affair alive.

Adjusting his travelling pack and taking one last glance around for good measure, he set off over the hill headed southeast. Likely he'd just come across mud crabs and frostbite spiders on the way, creatures he could pretty easily avoid. Hopefully there were no trolls lurking about but one could never be too sure.

The sound of a wolf not far off nearly made him jump but he quickly settled with a sigh, straining his ears to locate the direction it was coming from so he could skirt around them.

As he continued to walk, he could determine that they were somewhere off across a face of rock and unaware of him, the teen deeming it a good idea to move it a bit faster before he got attacked.

The marshes beyond looked just as creepy and ominous as ever, cloaked in a cold fog and overrun by sparse grass and dead looking trees. Thick blocks of ice at least allowed relatively easy passage between smile islands of dirt without getting too wet, and before long was past much of the swamp on the far east bank, making his way directly south from there.

As he made his way along, he came across a pair of slain Draugr by a stone archway, being extra cautious to make sure they really were permanently dead before getting too close. It seemed strange to him…had someone else been through here? Was it recently?

_Could it have been the assassin?_ This thought once again brought his nervous feelings rushing to the forefront, glancing around warily and the boy moving to hide behind the stone arch, peaking his head out and gazing around cautiously. Were they nearby? Maybe even waiting for him…

He stopped and shook his head furiously. Even if they had been through here, likely it wasn't because he was travelling the same way. They had probably escaped this way and run across them…assuming it was the assassin and not some random adventurer.

Still, once again unsettled, the teen hastily went along to reach Morthol as instructed and hopefully someplace a little more safe. He ended up nearly walking right into a group of hostiles camped out near a ruin, which resulted in him having to hide in the freezing water just under the cleft of a rock for many minutes until his teeth were nearly chattering, but finally got an opening to slip away unnoticed(and wet) without conflict.

_Stupid! That was stupid, Allen Walker._ He silently berated even as he shivered, the freezing air making some of the water turn to frost on the surface of his cloak. As much as he hated the wet and the cold, he kept it on since shedding his clothing in this temperature with such water on him could turn more deadly.

He needed to keep himself from turning careless with haste and clear his mind of fear. Easier said than done but it was also certainly easier than dying.

Continuing on his way, he reached Morthol before too long, having to cut down a persistent mud crab just outside of the town but was happy to finally reach it.

It wasn't incredibly large or protected…certainly not like some of the other Holds like Solitude or Whiterun. There were no major walls protecting the city, and wood houses with grass-thatched roofs were located right on the water. The boardwalks and docks were covered in a thin sheet of snow and ice, and small boats were docked off almost every house.

A brief search brought him to the Moorside Inn, the warmth that the heated inside of the building bringing him great relief, the boy letting out a sigh.

A brief scan of the room, just to be safe, assured him that there was little company within, and certainly no one who looked like a shadowy assassin. Of course looks could be deceiving but at the moment it seemed as if no one of dangerous intent was near.

After having to brave the cold and wet out in the open wilds, that was good enough for him, for the moment.

Making his way to the far desk of the room, he greeted the innkeeper, a redguard woman, with a customary polite smile.

"Well hello. You look like you crawled right out of the swamp. Climbed out of the Morthol moors, did you?" She greeted, looking him over.

"That about sums it up," Allen said in a light tone.

"You're quite young to be travelling by yourself. You have business in Morthol?"

"Um…not quite. I'm just passing through on an errand for my Master." Really he only considered it a half-lie since his trip did technically involve his Master's affairs. Just not the way he made it sound.

"Well make yourself at home by the fire. You wouldn't want to catch your death. Don't be afraid to ask if there's anything I can get for you."

"Thank you," Allen replied politely. "Actually…there is. I'd like to buy some food, lots of it. I have plenty of gold to pay."

The woman nodded. "It will take a short while, but make yourself at home in the meantime."

"Thank you again," Allen offered up before moving to sit by the fire, making it a point to sit on the far corner opposite the front door, just to keep an eye on things.

He finally shed his cloak, casting a glance over at the woman and calling out, "Um, excuse me? You don't mind if I hang my cloak above here to dry a bit, do you? It's not dripping wet or anything."

"Go ahead. Just be careful it doesn't catch on fire. Your fault if it does."

Allen nodded and carefully tossed the cloak over the wood beam standing over the fire, being sure it wasn't too close to catch embers and light up on fire. That done, he settled on the ledge almost uncomfortably close, heat radiating across his previously chilled skin.

It was nearly enough to lull him to sleep but the announcement of food had him awake and alert again, taking the food offered with a grateful smile and another polite thanks. Despite that she had brought a considerable amount, he had it finished in no time and piped up for more, surprising her.

"Wow, you must really be hungry. How long has it been since you've eaten?" She half-joked.

Allen couldn't keep a slight blush from rising to his face and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Um…I've just always had a really large appetite…really, it's totally normal for me. Sorry, it _is_ okay if I have more, isn't it? I mean, I don't want to drain you of all your food stores or anything." He said, remembering his manners now that he at least had some food in his stomach.

"Oh no, it's perfectly alright. I'm just surprised. You just don't look like the type to eat that much. Certainly not like some of the other fat loafs that come around here."

Allen smirked and resisted the urge to laugh somewhat as he heard a man at another table bark, "Hey!"

He noticed the woman pointedly ignore it as she continued talking. "Anyway, you're free to as much as you can eat."

Allen once again thanked the woman, finally feeling full after the second round of food and providing the coin he'd promised, as well as ten gold for a room for the night once he was ready to turn in and significantly dry.

Heaving a long suffering sigh, he settled on the bed of the inn room, a bit uncomfortable with the open doorway but would just have to make do with it for the night and hope nothing happened. His travelling and meal had still done nothing to quiet is tumultuous thoughts or the paranoia nagging at the back of his mind.

However, he did manage to find rest after a short while of gazing up at the ceiling, blissfully unaware of being watched by a small and unnoticed figure.


	5. Hired Help

**A/N:** Thanks goes out to anonymous reviewer _me_ for the review.

Also, this chapter is co-written through roleplay along with EquinoxSol from the Iwaku forums.

Disclaimer: D Gray-Man belongs to Katsura Hoshino. Skyrim belongs to Bethesda. Erin belongs to EquinoxSol.

* * *

Allen yawned even as he stretched his arms above his head, shifting his shoulders and working out some of the stiffness. He hadn't gone to bed all that late the previous night and likewise there was no light yet coming through the small window high up on the wall of the room, so he figured it was still early in the morning. A quick glance outside of his inn room told him that no one else was awake at this hour, so he couldn't ask the innkeeper to prepare any breakfast for him.

He could always leave without, but his stomach immediately protested this decision with a gutteral growl that made him glad no one else was awake and about. Deciding to wait a bit, he further stretched his muscles and did a few early morning workouts to keep his body conditioned, taking care to keep relatively quiet so as not to unneccesarily wake someone.

It was while he was doing his workouts that the woman who kept the inn appeared again, the teen not immediately noticing her as he counted pushups under his breath.

"Working so early in the morning?" She questioned lightly, Allen glancing up and shifting to kneel, offering her a polite smile.

"Well you never know what you're going to face when traveling. Best to be prepared and keep in shape." Allen returned in explanation, hopping to his feet in one fluid motion. "After all, wild animals and bandits certainly aren't sitting on their laurels relaxing and getting flabby. I can't let myself do so either."

"A wise outlook, I suppose." The woman nodded. She seemed to pick up on how the boy had perked up slightly when she entered and questioned, "So, would you like me to prepare a breakfast?"

Smile twitching wider, Allen nodded his head borderline eagerly, having more of an appetite than when he'd first awoken after working out a little and waking himself up. "Yes, please." After giving her a list of particular foods he'd liked that could feed a small force of Legion soldiers, he took a seat at one of the far tables, still a little wary of leaving his back to one of the building's doorways, so he could keep an eye on every corner.

_Well they didn't slash my throat last night while I was sleeping or anything,_ he acknowledged with a wry smile tugging at his lips, rubbing his neck and collarbone uncomfortable at the thought. _So I suppose I'm not being tailed or anything. At least not by anyone looking to kill me at any rate, but I still need to keep my guard up. It's still a long way from here to Whiterun. That's a lot of unchecked wilderness to cross - a lot of room for something to go wrong._

* * *

Erin shivered, pulling her cloak around her shoulders tighter. Blinking snowflakes from her eyes, she wondered if she should create a flame in her hands to keep her warm. Still, the inn was close enough that she shouldn't waste her magicka on it. As soon as Moorside came into view, she breathed a sigh of happiness, her breath fogging in front of her. As soon as she stepped into the inn, a trail of snowflakes followed her, and would have continued should she leave the door open. Forcing it shut, she instantly felt the heat of the fire, and smiled softly. Readjusting her battle stave strapped to her back, she called to the innkeep, "This cold already, and it's barely even seven?" Laughing with him, she stifled back a yawn. Since she hadn't been able to get to an inn overnight, and would have frozen to death if she had stopped anywhere, Erin had walked through the night, and was nearly asleep on her feet.

"I'll take anything hot," she said to the young woman who asked her if she wanted anything. Brushing snowflakes off of her shoulders and out of her hair, she sighed before taking stock of the others in the main room of the inn. It was typical inn stock, a loner in the corner, the two who owned the inn, and a young bard who seemed to still be waking up. Other than that, there were a few people eating, but it appeared that nobody would offer her a job.

Setting a few septims in the woman's hands, she smiled appreciatively as she left to bring her something hot to eat. Taking her bag and battle stave off of her shoulders, she set both against the nearby wall before sitting back in her chair, rolling her shoulders. Knowing that she would have to keep moving once she got a night's rest, she decided that she would linger a while with her meal, wishing she could stop for a break. But jobs for mercenaries like herself were rare now, and she had to find someone who would pay her well and give her a decent job. Maybe she could talk to the jarl of Morthal...He might give her a job to do, some bear or bandit to slay. It wouldn't be much work, but it would be something.

_Maybe I should return to Winterhold,_ she thought forlornly. _At least there I'd have something to do. Even working at the Arcanaeum and helping Urag would be better than doing nothing..._Sighing, Erin slumped in resignation, deciding that if she didn't find work within the week, she would start making her way back to Winterhold.

Allen glanced up at the doorway as someone entered, a young woman, though certainly not like most of those within the walls of Solitude that he was most accustomed to. He could tell after a quick glance that she was much more hardened to the wilds, carrying a rather hefty weapon with her and dressed for the harsh elements of the north - not the frilled, showy dresses he saw the most in many larger cities like Lenalee. He felt a stab of guilt as he recalled his friend still in Solitude. At least he assumed she was still there but with recent events, perhaps the High King had sent her somewhere else where she might be safer, especially with how protective the man was of his younger sister. Really it was amazing that Allen had been allowed around her so much, but Komui seemed to like and trust him so he tried not to question it too much.

_Ugh, I made her cry when I left. If - no, _when _I return, I need to apologize._ He mentally sighed, feeling like the lowest kind of jerk. He hadn't done it on purpose of course, but he still felt bad for leaving like that and causing her grief, especially knowing how worried she would be about him until they saw each other again.

He came out of his thoughts as the innkeeper made her way over with the food that she had prepared, which seemed like far more than a boy his age or size would be able to eat, though the woman had learned the night before exactly how much the boy could eat, and he offered up a grateful smile as he saw the food.  
"It looks delicious, thank you!" He offered up, digging in immediately.

The woman chuckled slightly even as she watched the kid practically inhale his food.  
"So you said you were traveling. Where to?" She questioned idly.

Allen paused - partially to swallow - before gazing up at her and giving it a brief moment of thought. Given the circumstances, he figured it best not to say a particular location just to be safe, offering up, "Oh, just a little ways south from here. I'm just buying some supplies that weren't in Solitude. Really I just have to keep trying towns and city's until I find what he wants. Whiterun, Faulkreath...maybe as far as Riften or Windhelm. Hopefully I won't have to leave Skyrim entirely to find them or anything." He laughed softly. "It's be a lot of trouble to have to cross the Jarrol mountains into Cyrodill or another neighboring region but hopefully it won't come to that."

"I see. It might have been better for you to travel the main road rather than coming through the moor though."

"Well I figured cutting through might be a little faster." Allen lied smoothly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Also more dangerous..." The innkeeper hummed, before shrugging. "Well, it's none of my business. Anyway, enjoy your meal." She said, moving to go back to her cooking pot and check on if the food was ready for her other customers.

"Mm-hm, thank you again." Allen offered up politely before going back to eating, scarfing down what was left in no time flat and sighing contently.

When Erin was brought her food, she didn't even care what it was, only that it was hot and would fill her up. Taking her time with eating it, she soon paid for a room for the day, deciding taht she would leave around midday to continue. That would give her enough time to rest before setting out once more. Stifling back a yawn, she couldn't help but think on what she had overheard between the woman who had brought her food and the young man who was off to the side.

_Maybe he'll need someone like me,_ she thought. The moor _was_ exceptionally dangerous for those going through it alone...Perhaps she could persuade him to purchase her services. Standing up, she straightened her dark green robes that she wore over her favored set of leather armor. Slinging her bag over one shoulder, she strapped her stave across her back, securing the leather sheathe it resided in.

Running a hand through her hair, she approached the prospective employer, putting a charismatic smile on her face. "Hello," she said, waving slightly with one hand. "I couldn't help but overhear...you're trying to find something? I don't think I could help you with that, but I could probably protect you on the way to the holds."

On any other day of the year Allen wouldn't think much of the offer but the image of his Master's slain corpse and the letter promising further assassinations was still fresh in his mind from only two days before, so he was decidedly wary of any strange faces he didn't recognize. A brief look-over made first appearances seem as though there was no way she could be an assassin...but of course that was usually a part of the ploy to get a person to drop their guard. And even if she wasn't a particular Hitman...or hitwoman...that still didn't mean she was trustworthy. He himself looked rather unassuming - a young man, maybe only a few years too old to be called a boy anymore, relatively thin and small by comparison of most Nords even if he did have some muscle to speak for, dressed rather plainly, only a white shirt with black pants and fine boots, a steel sword at his side; really the only nice dress that he had was his cloak, a white weave lined in thick Snow Bear fur. Even so, he was quite a bit more formidable and more hardened to the world than outward appearances or his gentlemanly(-to-a-fault) attitude implied.

On the other hand, even if she was the assassin, if he played his cards right, he could get out of it alive - hopefully in one piece - and bring them to light and justice to the Empire. It wouldn't be the first time he had to find ways to outmanuever shady characters in some form or fashion to ensure his own survival, it was just that usually he knew their faces. Of course for someone to get the jump on his Master...even if the man was a bit drunk, that was an impressive feat, and one for concern. For all outward appearances and irresponsible behavior, his Master was no pushover when it came to the battlefield. If anyone knew that, it was Allen.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Allen glanced up sheepishly and offered an apologetic smile, realizing he'd gone silent for a few seconds too long. "Oh, sorry, I was just weighing how much I would need the service..." It wasn't a total lie. "I may be interested..." He hummed, idly swirling a cup of cider as he seemed to give it a little more thought, giving her a curious look as he asked, "How much were you looking to earn?"

"Oooh," Erin said, pretending to think it over. "As much as I can," she finally answered, smiling again. "I just need enough to buy a couple rooms and meals..." In reality, she would have liked to get enough money to be able to stay somewhere long enough to find a long-term job, probably in Solitude or one of the larger holds. But if she couldn't, then she wouldn't complain. Any money was better than none, after all.

Still...she could see how he had been examining her, as if judging her merit. "I'm not some paid assassin, if that's what you're thinking," she told him, as if she could read his mind. Of course, she couldn't, but it seemed that people would believe anything about magic if they didn't know anything about it. "But...I can protect you against any sort of thing like that." Again, she smiled, trying to be reassuring and not appear threatening.

"Look," she said, taking the initiative and sitting down on the chair opposite him, "I'll take any job, it doesn't matter what you will or can pay me. I just need something to occupy my time and get me to a bigger Hold. After that, it doesn't matter how much you'll pay me, and I can handle myself from there."

_Doesn't sound too bad..._ Allen thought as she mentioned enough for room and meals. It was reasonable enough, after all, and Allen always carried plenty. Mainly because his own meals were always expensive given his rather unheard-of appetite, and there was never any telling how long he would be out or how far before he reached home again. If worse came to worse, he could scrape up some extra coin here and there with his own services to others. He was quite adept at many things, some more than others but whatever it took to survive, he would do.

When she went on to talk some more, only the faintest flinch of his eyes and furrowing of his brows gave away the mention of assassination for but a split second, making him a touch nervous. Bandit or Highwayman woud've sounded much less suspicious under the circumstances so he was notably a touch more wary, or really any circumstances, but perhaps that was just his currently paranoid mind at work. Still, being paranoid wasn't always unjustified.

All the same though, he played it off casually and laughed softly, not showing any more outward signs that what she'd said struck any sort of nerves as he turned back to his cup of cider.

"Assassin? That's sort of a bold assumption to make, isn't it? I don't imagine an assassin would care for a simple servant, no matter how high up the class they serve." These words were as much to try and calm his own nerves as they were to convince the stranger that had taken an interest in him presently. "Maybe a theif, if that, or a hungry beast looking for an easy meal...but there's not much pay in murdering a lowly servant, or in holding a ransom on one either. Their lord would just find another servant, especially knowing how my Master is."

Pausing for a light chuckle he continued this train of thought by adding, "So, I don't think I'll much need your services for staving off anything as out there as an assassin or anything of that sort, though to be honest I don't fancy the thought of stumbling across a bear or a troll, or sabre cat on my own either, so you could still prove to be a valuable investment until I reach my destination."

Erin bowed her head appreciatively. "Thank you," she said, a light smile coming to her face. "I assure you that you won't be disappointed by the services I offer." Though on the outside she was acting very formal in her happiness, on the inside she was doing a little victory dance. This would be the first job she had gotten in a week, and her money was running out, so she was understandably glad about this. Running a hand through her hair, she couldn't help but let herself smile at the idea of the job.

It would be so easy. Nowadays, the roads were safer than ever, and if her employer decided to stray from them, she knew she was strong enough to stave off anything that crossed her path, be it bear, troll, or bandit. And when it was all said and done, she would have some more money in her pockets, and would probably be able to set herself up somewhere for as long as she needed. And if her employer didn't pay as much as she needed, then there were always innkeeps and jarls who had work that needed to be done, after all.

"I'm Erin," she said, deciding that if she would be working for him, he should at least know her name. "I studied at the College of Winterhold for many years, and now I am just a mercenary, but my magic is as good as any of those old men up in Winterhold." She smiled again, this time towards her employer. Friendship was important in mercenary-employer relationships, she had learned, especially when lives could be on the line. Fixing her eyes upon his, she brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, waiting for him to introduce himself.

The albino male still had his guard up, but for the most part he was at least outwardly relaxed and offered up a polite smile. He tucked away the bit of knowledge about her being from Winterhold away in his memory for possible later use, but decided not to actually mention that his intention was to actually find his way there after rendezvouing with someone in Whiterun. Honestly he wasn't even sure yet who he was meeting, but Komui seemed to have had it all arranged already and how he was to find this person, so at the moment he was trusting the man's judgment and trying to focus on actually reaching the city first, and would worry about finding who he was supposed to meet when he actually arrived.

_If she turns out to be trustworthy enough maybe I could even employ her to guide us to Winterhold, especially if we end up avoiding the main roads. The roads through there are perilous enough, nevermind the mountain range itself._

"I'm Allen," he introduced in a typical, gentlemanly manner. "Officially I live in Solitude, but really my Master has me traveling so much on his behalf that I rarely see it, were truth be told. Really I'm more of a nomad at this point than anything. Master keeps me well busied with work most of the year." He chuckled wryly though there was an almost cynical undertone to his voice as he said this last part.

As he spoke, Erin tried to memorize all he told her. Who knows, maybe knowing something about him could help her later, either on this job or on another. Of course, she would never sell out a former employer, but information about him might be able to get her out of some sticky situation during this job. Even if it's just a name, asked by someone who wants to know if she really isn't a mercenary, as she would want some to believe, then that would be something. At least then, she told herself, getting to know her employers would have a use.

Coming back to reality as he introduced himself, she listened politely as he stated where he was from and some of what he did. Still, she didn't know much more about her job. As far as she was concerned, that was fine. If anyone came up to them with weapons drawn, then she would just have to deal with them. Simple as that. Letting one of her hands come to rest on the table, she smiled before speaking again.

"It is nice to me you, Allen," she said, bowing her head in greeting. When she lifted it back up, she was smiling again. Stifling back a yawn, she said, "Just give the word and I'll be ready to leave in a second..."

"I was actually hoping to leave right away." Allen said, having to resist gazing about the room warily since he was meant to be playing the part of casual traveler. He got the tingling feeling in the back of his mind that he was being watched, but wasn't sure whether this was just paranoia playing tricks on his mind or otherwise. Either way, better to err on the side of caution and get to his destination as quickly as possible. Assuming he did have pursuers, to which he was still uncertain of, he hoped that he might slip away before they could figure out he was no longer present in Solitude and track him. Of course it would be ideal to discover that he had no such threats from assassin's but at the moment every bit of knowledge on the matter was up in the air, so he would simply have to play it by ear and hope for the best. "Best not to keep my Master waiting. He's not typically a forgiving sort of man in matters of money."

Erin nodded. "Of course. Anything you say. You're the boss." She smiled again, standing up. Calling over to the woman who had brought her her food earlier, she said, "I don't think I'll be needing that room today. Keep the money anyways, I think I'll be making enough soon...It won't matter." Grinning as she listened to the reply, she called, "Thank you for the food! It was really good!"

Looking down at Allen, she said, "That's all I needed to do..." Slinging her bag onto both shoulders, she continued, "Unless there's anything you need to do, I'm ready to go off. Especially if your master doesn't like to be kept waiting." Erin had had more than her fair share of people getting mad when she had dallied, especially when she was at the College. Putting on a smile that said, "I'm ready," she hefted her battle stave sheathe further on her shoulder, rolling it in an attempt to work some of the stiffness out.

"Just one thing, hold on," Allen said, rising from his seat to saunter to the counter where the innkeeper had walked over to, producing coin of his own to pay for his own meal. That being done, he turned back to the table to retrieve his cloak, casting over his shoulder, "Thank you for the food, ma'am."  
The woman smiled and waved them out. "It was my pleasure. You take care now, and try not to go crawling through the marshes anymore." She tossed.  
Allen chuckled slightly as he hefted his cloak around his shoulders, securing the clasp on the front of it. "I'll remember that from now on." He returned idly, not really having planned on getting soaked the first time around though at least this time the icy waters would be behind him.

Having his things packed and ready, he idly rested one hand over the hilt of his sword, out of sight beneath his cloak and more just as a precaution in case he needed to draw it. He still wasn't entirely sure if Erin was really a trustworthy person unaffiliated with his Master's assassin(s) so for now he'd keep his guard up and try to assess how legitimate she was as they went.

"Well then, if we're all ready to go, let's be off, shall we?" He proposed, making for the door of the inn briskly. Without even thinking much of it he was the first one out and held the door for her, being more or less accostumed to doing so and especially for any of the female variety.

Erin remained silent while Allen spoke to the innkeeper, paying her for his food. When he returned, she was leaning against the wall, one of her hands in the pocket of her mage robes, twirling around the few septims she kept there. More often than not, that would be the only amount of money she had on her at the time. At the moment, however, she had enough money that she could store some of it in a pouch in her bag, so at least she wasn't entirely broke.

Jingling the coins in her pocket when he came back, she waved at the innkeep as she said her goodbye to Allen. Nodding her agreement when Allen proposed that they leave, she followed him, at first mildly surprised when he held the door open for her. "Thank you," she said, once she had gotten over her initial surprise. Walking into the cold again, she stifled back a shiver as snowflakes instantly found their homes within the locks of her hair.

"You're very welcome," Allen returned politely with a smile, shutting the door and stepping down the wood steps. Snow and ice coating the wood boardwalks and ground crunched underfoot and Allen glanced down the path that headed due south, humming in thought as he debated the best way to take. He knew that either way, they'd cross with the main road, but he was still wary to follow it for any distance.

Now that he thought about it, he wasn't entirely sure the location of where Morthol even was in exact accordance with a map, pulling a folded paper out and unfolding it. The hide map had seen definite use and he knew he'd probably need to get another one soon before this one was worn beyond it's usefulness, but for the moment it served it's purpose anyway.

After studying it for a moment in thought, he spoke up to share what he was thinking. "If we head south out of here and hit the main road, it looks like there should be a relatively easy mountain pass right through here that'll take us almost stright through to Whiterun." He partially folded the map to point to where he was talking about, the wind touseling the paper around in his hand a bit. "Whereas if we'd take the main road, we'd run right into a bandit encampment settled right on the river, here - it's the only definite crossing that direction, and while they might let us go through if we pay them, I'd like to avoid that if at all possible - so cutting through the mountain should save us time and coin, and hopefully a fight though I can't say for sure what sort of creatures might be living that way. If worse comes to worse, we can always double back to the road."

At this point he stopped to hear what she thought of it, turning inquiring eyes to the young woman.

Once outside, Erin folded her arms over herself, pulling her cloak further around her shoulders in an attempt to fight off the cold. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, in order to keep the blood moving through her veins, she wished that her pale grey cloak had a hood on it, so she could pull it up and have something against the wind. Forcing herself not to shiver, figuring that it wasn't proper for a mercenary, she watched as Allen pulled out a map.

Walking over, she glanced over what was on it, studying it and trying to remember everything around Morthal. It had been a while since she had been in Morthal, and she had mostly been getting the general direction to where she wanted to go and then simply walking that way until she found where she was going. Of course, that probably was what caused her to spend full nights walking because she couldn't find the proper landmark.

Listening to Allen as he spoke his thoughts, she nodded, seeing his logic. Following the path he was showing her, as well as seeing where the main road went, she said, "I could probably handle a bandit camp, but if you want to go straight south, I'm fine with that. The path makes sense and it'll probably be uneventful," she said, nodding again.

"Well, let's hope it's uneventful at any rate." Allen agreed, tucking away his map back into safe hiding. "Personally I don't mind bandits too much myself, just about every one of them can be persuaded to leave peaceably for the right amount of coin." He said idly, stepping up the path leading from the town and towards the main road. "But at average two-hundred gold pieces a pop for each toll passing, that eats away at assets relatively quickly, and I rather like being able to afford to eat." The unspoken part being especially with how costly his eating habits grew to be. The cold was already biting at the exposed skin of his face and seeping past his clothing, the boy likewise pulling his fur-lined cloak closer around his frame.

Erin smiled, chuckling softly to herself. Of course, if any bandits gave them problems, it probably wouldn't be any trouble to just make a show of one of her more flashy spells before they would run like kicked dogs. Still, if Allen didn't require it of her, she wouldn't do anything, unless they threatened his life. Walking on the path, she couldn't help but hum softly to herself, even though she was keeping a careful watch on the landscape to both sides. You never knew who would be hiding in the bushes on the side of the road. Too many times, Erin had been ambushed by animals or bandits that were just hidden by shadows or leaves. Once or twice, that mistake had nearly cost her her life, and she intended not to let that happen again.

Since it seemed that Erin had little to say in return, Allen in turn dropped the conversation as well as they walked, making their way between a few rocky hills that seperated Morthal from the main road. He was certain it wasn't yet daytime, though with the thick covering of clouds and snowfull obscuring any sight they might've had of the sky, it was a bit difficult to percieve the exact time of day. Occasionally the teen would shake his head off or brush a gloved hand over his hair and rid it of snowflakes that had settled over the equally white locks, his eyes occasionally darting about the landscape just in case any manner of man or beast tried to ambush them from the roadside, but it seemed relatively clear the entire way, the only movement to interrupt the otherwise silent snowscape being the creaking of trees occasionally buffetted by the wind and the falling of packed snow from their branches, and the only creature to cross their path being a small snow fox out hunting for food.

It was a bit shy of a two hour's walk before Allen paused to gaze between two small mountains, a stone structure standing in the pass between them, the teen idly massaging his legs which were feeling a little sore from the cold.

"Pretty sure that's the pass we need...but no telling what might be lurking around it." There were a lot of possibilities. Bandits were always one...Draugr were another, and just about everything in between.

Erin had enjoyed the walk. Sure, it was freezing cold and she hadn't gotten any sleep at all in the last day, but the cold kept her awake and alert, and though nothing of importance happened along the road, she could still enjoy the early morning. She hadn't bothered with the snowflakes that got caught in her hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes, deciding that it wasn't important enough to take her un-gloved hands from her pockets and expose them to the biting wind. Her face was bad enough, why should she do the same to her hands?

_When it's needed, I can just make fire in my hands,_ she thought to herself, suddenly itching for a fight so that she would have a reason to use her magic to warm herself. Besides that, a fight would get her blood pumping, and she wouldn't be entirely cold anymore.

Once they came upon the mountain pass and the structure standing in between the two snow-capped sentinels, she was suddenly wary. _Perfect place for a trap, _she thought, a suspicious look on her face. "Hmm..." she mused at Allen's words. "Should I go first then?" she asked, secretly hoping that there would be a fight ahead.

It was on the tip of Allen's tongue to volunteer that he could go first, and that it wasn't necessary that she do so for him, but he stopped himself and gave it a moment's more thought before seeming to deem it a better idea to let her go ahead of him.

_I still don't really know her...for all I know she really could be an assassin._ At which point it would be unwise to have her at his back, especially if they did run across trouble - a perfect opportunity to get the jump on him while his attention was turned. And at the very least, if she really was just a regular mercenary looking for a little coin to her pouch, he would at least still be able to guard her back, so it wasn't as if he was really unfairly putting her at risk, as far as he could tell. There was also the matter that she volunteered for it, rather than being volunteered.

Deciding that was probably the safest approach, whatever they ended up facing, he motioned down the path with his hand and nodded his head. "If you want to, be my guest."

Erin nodded, not saying anything before starting down the path. She kept glancing up both sides of the mountains, wary for archers that could be standing just out of her eyesight. _Come on...please let there be something up ahead...anything, even if it's just one bandit..._Her train of thought being interrupted by the sound of the wind rustling through the pass, making a horrendous_ wooo_ sound, she glanced up again, dislodging a couple snowflakes from her hair and sending them down.

Shaking away the chill, she adjusted her cloak, which had shifted a bit from the wind. As they came closer to the structure, she kept herself on high alert, her eyes scanning it for shadows which shouldn't be and crevices that contained hidden dangers. However, she also kept an eye towards the ground, knowing that the snow could cover any sort of dangerous things: tripwires, bear traps, pits, and spells. Any one of those could spell death for either one of them.

"Be careful on the snow," she called back to Allen. "There might be something beneath it."

Allen wasn't far behind as they ascended the worn stone steps that led up the ancient structure, his own eyes darting about in a wary fashion.

_Great place for an ambush,_ he couldn't help but notice ruefully, his eyes jumping from one cleft to one shadow to another in anticipation of a possible enemy, likewise first and foremost looking for archers posted on the edges of the ruin. He noticed a flicker of movement ahead and the hand resting on the hilt of the sword at his side tightened around it, relaxing only after seeing that it was a deer grazing on spar grasses just of the clefts of the mountain.

The animal likewise lifted it's head at them, eyeing the pair with ears angled before snorting harshly and taking off further up the path at a quick gallop.

As Erin warned her of the possibility of traps, the teen merely nodded his head, making it a point to follow the same path she walked as a precaution. It also just made general travel easier since, the higher they climbed, the thicker the snow got. Traps or arrows didn't come their way but the teen froze as he heard a sound ahead, some sort of snarl or growl, tensing and trying to dredge up where he'd heard that sound before.

_A bear? No, I don't think so...something else._ He knew he'd heard such a sound before, but couldn't quite seem to place it, falling into a low crouch and moving further up the path to the stone archway that led into the heart of the outside ruins, peaking his head just around the edge. He had to squint his eyes and really look around, but after a short while he spotted what he had been trying to locate, white beast hunched over the slain deer that had bolted not minutes before. After a moment another snarl rang in the air and a second one joined it, the two squaring off with bared fangs for a moment before taking a side of the deer and ripping it apart between them.

Inwardly, the teen couldn't help but sigh. _Frost trolls, just our luck..._

As soon as she caught sight of the frost trolls, Erin couldn't help but smile. She was hiding on the behind the other half of the archway, but the instant she caught sight of them, she drew out her left hand, summoning a small, low fire to rest there. Gingerly, her other hand reached behind her shoulder, trying to be as silent as possible to take her battlestave out of its sheathe. Reveling in the bit of warmth radiating from her fingertips, she let it grow slightly, letting it dance between her fingers.

Glancing over at Allen, she made a gesture towards him, indicating that they should move in five seconds. Mouthing out the numbers, she peeked her head around the archway, watching the two. When she looked back at her employer, she mouthed, "Ready?"

"Not sure that I'd say 'Ready'," Allen tossed back, careful not to let his voice rise to high and give them away. "But it's either go for it or go back." Really, going back seemed a wiser decision. Frost trolls were nothing to sniff at. On the same token, it seemed his newfound bodyguard was just about itching to go at it, so with an inward sigh of resignation he carefully gripped the sword handle at his side in preparation, tensing up and ready to move when she did.

_Bandits don't seem like such a bad conflict all of a sudden,_ he lemented to himself even as he inwardly tried to prepare for what was no doubt going to be a difficult fight. Difficult for him, at least, though he wasn't exactly sure yet as to Erin's skill set. He supposed he was about to find out.

As soon as she had gotten the clear from Allen, Erin made her move. Moving forwards, she moved to a low crouch, keeping stone behind her and doing her best to get a vantage point on the trolls. Then, when she was ready, she cast the fire spell burning in her palm, holding her hand out to the troll nearest to her. Once she had its attention, she moved closer, striking out with the blunt staff part of her stave, hearing the bones of the troll cracking beneath it.

Dancing back in order to avoid a blind strike from the troll, she threw fire at it, alternating between her melee and magic strategy sporadically. A couple times, she would combine the two, burning while she struck at the frost troll. Once it was dead, the pointed end of her battle stave pierced through its mid-chest, she drew the stave out, breathing heavily but not quite as cold as earlier. Moving the sleeve of her robes up, she winces as she saw three horizontal cuts on her forearm. They weren't deep, but Erin knew that they would hurt once the adrenaline wore off. Looking up, she watched Allen's troll, wondering if she should step in or not.

Allen only hesitated one brief second after Erin initiated the attack before he followed suite and drew the attention of the second troll, knowing it would be bad for both of them if she became tag-teamed by both beasts. Admittedly he was a bit intimidated by it as it snarled and towered itself up, multiple pairs of eyes gleaming with predatory blood lust. He had already drawn his blade by this point, wielding it with his right hand skillfully and made a swift, precise slash at it, managing to gash it's arm though not as deeply as he would've liked. Of course he knew that trolls were not easy creatures to take on, especially not a frost troll, so he wasn't surprised that the strike didn't pierce its thick hide enough to cripple it's arm.

Being mindfully attentive to it's movements, he dodged back nimbly as the troll took a clawing swipe at him. Granted Allen wasn't the most physically strong combatant, he was quick and light on his feet, a skill that had come from a totally different part of his younger life before having to learn formal fighting arts of any kind. The troll was fierce and likely someone else of his size and fighting skill would have succumb under it's onslaught by now, but as it were he nimbly dodged each intended attack with extra room to spare, only trading blows of his own where he saw an opening.

The white-haired teen audibly cursed his luck as he lost some of his footing trying to back-pedal from it's attacks, it's claws managing to snag his side. Allen resisted the urge to cry out, grinding his teeth in pain but was quick to adjust and dove into a tumble, rolling back to his feet and quickly taking up his stance again.

_That's going to make this a lot harder than before..._ he rued to himself, preparing to attack and continuing to try and find an opening, Erin seeming to have a lot easier time with this than his as she dispensed the troll she had first attacked much easier than him. _Guess it's a good thing I didn't come this way by myself._

When Allen fell, Erin tried summoning fire to her hand once more, but she could immediately feel the magical fatigue settling in. Spitting out a curse, she ran forwards towards the frost troll, her battlestave in one hand. Holding it so that most of the weight was against her arm, and she could strike with the piercing point more easily, she struck at the troll until she had its attention.

As soon as she did, she backed up a few paces, motioning to Allen to move and get to a better position. Feeling the first tendrils of pain starting to move outward from the cuts on her arm, she winced before watching the frost troll heal itself. Blowing the hair out of her eyes, she adjusted her grip on the stave before diving to avoid a swipe that would have severed her left arm and would have left deep gouges in her side. Definitely not something she would want to experience. Rolling to a crouched position, she tried to feel how much magicka she had restored, not liking the smallness of it. It wouldn't be enough to take care of the troll...Straightening, Erin avoided another amputation-causing attack, this time parrying with the staff of her weapon, dancing back to avoid the troll's other claw. _Maybe I should take some time to buy a sword and learn to use it better, _she mused idly while she struggled with the troll.

Allen was more than grateful for the help that Erin provided once she had finished off the troll that she was fighting, taking a few moments to recompose himself as signalled by her, pain making him a bit shorter of breath than he would've been only from dodging the trolls assaults. Adrenaline was doing nothing to help stem the flow of blood though at least it was dulling his perceptions of the pain somewhat, for now.

He noticed Erin was struggling a bit with the second troll more than the first, probably worn down from having to fight the other, and was quick to adjust himself and rejoin the fight, taking a slash at the troll's exposed backside. The beast let out a frothing howl and took a swung backwards at him, the teen dodging under a club-like forearm that probably could've easily knocked him out had it made contact. Just as the beast went to turn it's attention back to him, it whipped around on Erin as it was struck by the pointed end of her stave, it's attention ping-ponging between the two combatants.

Seeming to grow more agitated by the back-and-forth blows, the troll rose up further with a gutteral roar towards Erin, Allen taking full advantage of it's drawn attention and sweeping up to one side in it's blind-spot, swinging his blade into the back of it's leg and bringing it crashing onto it's back with a howl of agony, the teen wasting no time in bringing the sword around the deliver the finishing blow before it had time to recover and add to either of their injuries.

Certain that the creature was quite dead, he removed his blade and staggered back to fall onto his rear, reflexively moving one hand to put pressure to his side and drawing in several sharp breath's. After a few seconds, he shook his head, a few white locks falling into his face.

"I vote we never try going against frost trolls again," he spoke his thoughts aloud wryly.

Once the troll was finally dead, Erin immediately took stock of her wounds. Aside from a few cuts on her arms, it appeared that she was no worse for wear. Frowning at the torn cloth of her robes, she decided that she would repair it at the next place they stopped. Letting the adrenaline seep out of her, she winced as soon as she felt the pain, breathing through her teeth. Letting a slight smile appear on her face from Allen's wry statement, she nodded. "Definitely," she responded, nodding. Running a hand through her hair, she put her battlestave back in its sheathe, not liking the new couple of notches that had appeared in the stave. Those might be bad...

"Do you have anything that's really bad and needs to be treated now?" she asked Allen, looking over him. "If not, we can leave now and deal with our injuries when we're somewhere we can't be attacked at..."

"I think I'll live," Allen panted, the cold air and snow burning his lungs somewhat. After a few moments he rubbed the blade of his sword through the snow to clean it before sheating the weapon, opening up his supplies momentarily for a rag to press against his wound and stem some of the bleeding, getting back to his feet. "At least until we get away from this place, and assuming nothing else tries to kill me. Probably best for us to move somewhere else before worrying too much about it...before something else is drawn to the smell of blood. A wolf or crab I could handle, but I don't think I'll survive another troll." As if in testament to this, his eyes shifted about the stony ruin warily. "And there's no telling how many more might be lurking somewhere around here."

Erin nodded, before turning to continue down the pass. Wiping her sleeve over the claw marks on her arm, to try to wipe away some of the blood, she pulled her cloak around her shoulders tighter, the cold biting her bared skin. Making sure to keep walking, she watched the walls and the ground in front of her, her hair laden with snowflakes and and mussed up by the fight. Rolling her shoulders, she let her hand trail along the side of the pass, listening for any sounds of more trolls. She was certain that she couldn't two more trolls. Maybe one, with the magicka she had restored, but definitely not two. As the cold set in once more, she focused setting one foot in front of the other, intent on keeping the blood pumping and making sure she didn't freeze. Brushing away the snowflakes that were in her eyelashes and brows, she blinked, shivering against the chill.

Allen followed along just behind and kept his senses alert as well, silvery blue eyes shifting over the structure of the ruins as they walked but it seemed that there were no more trolls lurking about, at least not close enough to be a problem and attack. Even so, he kept on high alert just in case and one hand positioned at his sword, ready to draw it. Each archway leading somewhere within the stone structures seemed a lot more menacing after the fight they'd had and he made it a point to steer clear of them, following Erin further up the path.  
Snow-encrusted steps led up to a pair of archways between the mountains which he could only assume was the exit of the place, and hopefully unguarded. Snowflakes rested on his eye lashes and obscured his vision somewhat, though with the snow blowing there wasn't much to see by already.

_We could walk right up to a troll before ever even seeing it in this snowfall until it's munching on our bones,_ he couldn't help but reflect cynically, blue eyes scanning warily but he still didn't see nor hear any sign of impending danger.

Walking beneath a large stone archway, just beyond snow was less abundant on the ground, sparse tussock covered in frost poking its way up from the ground and the snow starting to taper off just beyond. The triangular archway he'd seen before was just ahead and he decidedly picked up his pace a little, eager to leave the ruins and any more lingering trolls far behind him. His gaze travelled upwards just in case another troll might've been lurking further out on the cliffs, but was satisfied to see no signs of such and continued on with greater confidence, his gaze lingering on the structure they passed under as they walked. He'd seen many ancient Nord ruins countless times throughout his travels but he was always awed by the longstanding structures and what it must have taken to build them to last such a vast amount of time without crumbling.

The rest of the pass was a straight shoot through tundra grasses and pine trees for some distance, but otherwise they went unbothered by any other manner of beast or man. Finally, having left the ruins well behind them, the opening up of the cliffs, lightening of the snowfall, and din of a couple of wolves howling ahead of them announced the end of the mountain pass, Allen feeling a little light-headed and heavy-footed but pushing onward and happily awaiting their reaching the end of the mountains. He could see the black shapes of the wolves ahead and made it a point to steer around them and give a safe enough distance that they wouldn't attack, satisfied when the animals disregarded them at a distance. The path sloped steeply downward and Allen moved to saunter up a few large rocks portruding from the mountain, getting a nice view of the valley below and the sun peaking out of the clouds above, the position of it telling the teen that it was climbing past mid-day.

A small smile creased his lips as he breathed out in relief. "Whiterun region at last."


	6. Late Gift

Erin didn't falter in her step as they walked. Compared to the grueling walk she had had the night before, this was nothing. Last night was awful. It had been snowing fiercely, the wind biting her exposed skin. For most of the night, she wasn't able to see anything more than a few inches in front of her face, and by the time she could see the lights of Morthal, miles away, she was thinking about just lying down and letting the frostbite take her. Of course, the howling of wolves behind her had pushed her on. No way was she letting wolves get to her body. A few hours later, she had reached the town, feeling like she would collapse.

She felt like that now, too, having gotten no sleep in at least a day, but keeping her focus on her breathing, she stayed awake. At least, as they were walking through the pine trees and snow-covered grasses, snow would fall on top of her from the trees whenever she stumbled into one, making sure she kept walking straight. Looking up when she heard the howling of wolves, she almost reached for her battlestave before realizing that they were far away.

Relaxing, she was glad when they finally escaped the pass and were overlooking a huge valley spreading out from the mountainside. Letting a smile spread across her face at his words, she said, "Any more of that pass and I would have gone crazy..." Running a hand through her hair, she rolled her shoulders, yawning.

Allen only nodded his head in agreement, his gaze sweeping across the fields and squinting his eyes slightly to see. He could spy a few stone structures in the distance, a river to the far right of the field, and the Throat of the World to the far left, sillouhuetted against the sky.

"I recognize the fort and the watchtower far ahead of us, so Whiterun has to be a few miles that way, in the shadow of the mountain." He couldn't really see it from so far away but he had a general idea of where it was now, at least. "I think there's a pond below, down there," he directed with a sweep of his hand. "We can rest there for a while and then set out after we've recovered a bit." He wasn't sure how Erin was feeling but he was definately feeling the effects of blood loss and could use some rest.

Erin nodded before setting off towards where Allen had said the pond was. Careful as she moved amongst the rocks, not wanting to trip and hurt her legs or ankles, she went slowly, making sure a rock was stable before putting her weight on it. Biting back the pain that was spreading out from the cuts on her arms, she flexed her fingers in an attempt to deter her body from the pain. It didn't help much, but it was a welcome distraction.

After a while, she caught sight of the pond, and quickened her step, though she was keeping her safety on the rocks above anything else. Once they were finally on flat ground, she strolled to the pond, rolling the sleeves of her robes up despite the cold. Kneeling by the pond, she put her arms up to the elbows in the frigid water, surprised that it hadn't frozen over yet. Pulling her arms back up, she wiped away the blood, goosebumps rising on her flesh from the chill.

Allen followed along as well a little slower, focusing most on foot placement since falling down the slope wouldn't be at all good at the moment. He was feeling exhausted, the burning in his side having dulled to a duller but still aching throb, and was more than ready to kick it back and rest a bit. Coming down the hill, he spied a few mammoth's making their way away from the pond in the distance, a deer grazing some short ways off, but otherwise it looked to be safe.

The pond itself wasn't very deep, a few mudcrabs mingling about it but they seemed content enough to stay on the opposite side of the pond to graze on whatever food it was they plucked off the ground with their claws. Really the water wasn't very deep at all, maybe only as high as his knees at the deepest point. Shedding his cloak and other belongings to rest them on the ground, likewise coming to kneel at the water's edge and pulling the cloth away from his side. It was stained in blood which ran and mixed with the water as he wrung it clean - or as clean as it was going to get anyway, parts of it blood-stained beyond repair - and brought the icy wet cloth back to his side, hissing through his teeth as the cold touched his flesh.

"That troll really got me good," he lamented aloud, cleaning the wound and pulling some of the torn flesh to get a better look. "I think I'm lucky I didn't get disembowled."

"Mmm," Erin added, glancing over her wound again. Most of the cuts seemed to have congealed, so she wasn't losing any blood, but it was still hurting. "I think I might have some sort of bandages or strips of cloth or something in my bag if you want it..." Shedding her cloak, battlestave, and bag, she rummaged through it for a second, soon finding several strips of cloth bound together with twine.

Rolling her sleeve up again, she used the cloth as a bandage, tying it at the end until all of the cuts were covered. Tossing the bundle over to Allen, she said, "If you need any help, just tell me," before wringing out her sleeve of water, knowing that the water could freeze, and then she might have a problem. Frostbite didn't sound too good to her at the moment.

"I think I can manage," Allen shrugged, catching the bandages. _As long as nothing comes up and tries to eat me._ He thought somewhat good-humoredly. After making sure he actually had the wound clean, and hoping to avoid any possible infection, he bound it up, having had to treat his own wounds on more than one occasion during his travels. Of course he wasn't one to complain, about much of anything really, so he just dealt with dressing the wound and left it at that without verbalizing much more.

The one thing he did have a complaint for followed closely after a gutteral growl from his stomach and a bit of under-the-breath grumbling. He had food, of course, but being of a much larger appetite than most, it wouldn't be as satisfyingly filling until they actually reached Whiterun where he could stuff his face with all the food he could buy up...which was a lot more than he could carry with him any distance.

"Destinations always feel a lot further away when you're hungry," he thought aloud ruefully, even as he rummaged through his bag for the rations he did have with him. It was definatley a true statement, at least for him, and an unfortunate one since there was just about always a goodly amount of distance to cover between towns and inns.

While Allen bound his wound, Erin moved to a spot beneath a tree. Lying beneath the tree, she rested her eyes, tired as she was from her fight with the troll. She didn't let herself fall asleep, knowing that her job was to protect Allen, but she did close her eyes, emitting a yawn occasionally.

Reopening her eyes when she heard a growling, she reached for her stave, scanning the area for anything that could have made that sound. Her eyes falling on Allen, she asked, "Was that you?" Her question was answered by his rueful statement and his rummaging through his bag. She wasn't hungry, and decided that once she was, she would eat while they walked, so she returned to closing her eyes, offering up adequette shade to protect her eyes from the sun's overhead glare.

"Sorry," Allen apologized when he noticed Erin on the alert, asking if that was his doing. "I get really hungry faster than most. Not sure why, it's just always been that way." He chuckled slightly under his breath fondly, pulling out some food that he had managed to find hidden away in his bag. "My father used to ask me all the time if I even tasted anything I ate when I was younger because I usually scarfed it all down too."

At this point he paused to take a large bite out of a bread loaf first and another out of a wedge of cheese, seemingly a lot more blissful as he ate.

Erin shook her head. "It's fine," she replied, smiling. She had dealt with much stranger people in her line of work, and someone who got hungry a lot was a nice break from the crazies she normally dealt with. Telling him as much, she settled back down against the tree, yawning. "Just tell me when you're ready to leave," she said, keeping her stave close in case the next growl didn't come from Allen's stomach.

Allen chuckled slightly as Erin vaguelly mentioned the hardships of past people to deal with, knowing that there were quite a few..._colorful_ characters out in the world. He had personally run across or dealt with quite a few of them himself before, some more vehemently than others. Scarfing down what food he had, figuring that they would reach Whiterun soon enough that he wouldn't starve between now and there, he moved to sit in the shadow of the rock as well just out of arm's reach of Erin, trying to make himself as comfortable as he could. Certainly a losing battle if he was looking for great comfort but it certainly wasn't the worst conditions he had been forced into, by any means.

"I think maybe a few hour's rest would do us some good. Whiterun Hold is still a few hours walk away." The unspoken part being he was already exhausted, the blood loss attributing to this, and really just wanted to kick it back for a while. The sun would probably be down by then but at least for now he could lay in the warmth of daylight until then and hopefully regain some more of his energy. Besides that, if he was at risk of being attacked by some sort of assassin, likely it would be a lot more difficult for them to find him out in the open wilds, mostly hidden from sight rather than on the main road or in the city. At least that was the hope.

Nodding, Erin said, "Of course." In truth, she was due for some sort of rest as well. Fatigue from the night before was pressing down on her, as well as the tiredness from the battle with the trolls, which made it so that she could just fall asleep right there. Still, she didn't let herself. She was paid to keep Allen safe, after all, and if she was asleep, how was she supposed to do that?

Stifling back a yawn, she remained seated underneath the tree, her eyes closed but her ears opened for any sound of approachers. At a moment's notice she could jump to her feet and be ready to fight off any sort of danger, be it man, beast, or otherwise.

Allen fell silent as well and focused on getting a little rest, drifting into sleep but never too far from waking either, his senses still alert for the possibility of attack, especially with the threat of assassination still fresh in his mind. Even the scuttling of exoskeleton claws on rocks caused him to peak his eyes open each time a Mudcrab got a little too close for his liking before it went back to scavanging another side of the pond. Other than that, and at one point a lumbering mammoth passing the fields across from them some distance away, there wasn't any activity to be wary of, it seemed.

A little after dark would be a good time to move again, rest in the daylight when visibility was good and move when darkness fell, he silently decided. He was starting to figure that either he didn't have pursuers, or they hadn't picked up his trail. In either case, the cover of night would be more beneficial to staying undetected until reaching the Hold. Granted the darkness could hide other dangers and his enemies as well, but he would cross that bridge if or when they came to it.

* * *

Spending the remainder of the day underneath the tree, her arms crossed over her chest. Occasionally, she would open her eyes, scanning the horizon for any sign of hostile activity, but for the most part the landscape was clear of anything but the mammoth in the distance and the mudcrabs at the edge of the lake. Once or twice, she would hear the howls of wolves, but they were distant and virtually nonexistent on the wind.

When night fell, Erin was on her feet, standing watch. Eventually, as the moon started rising, she roused Allen by calling over to him. "Allen!" she yelled over at him, careful to keep her voice down, in case anything was just outside her field of vision. "Get up. I think we should start moving now that it's dark..."

Allen was easily awoken and sat up with a yawn, stretching his arms over his head though still mindful not to strain the wound at his side. He had managed a little off-and-on sleep, and did feel better than he had earlier, but still a bit weakened. Taking a minute or two to rouse to greater alertness, he clasped his cowl back into place and hoisted his travel bag up, his eyes darting about the shadowy landscape. Nodding his approval, he stepped up just beside Erin.

"Yeah, now would probably be a good time." Then they could finally reach Whiterun and, hopefully, the person he was meant to rendezvous with would either already have arrived or not be long in coming to join him. He supposed that whatever they were to do from there would be a bridge better crossed once it came to it, whether he and Erin would part ways or if she might be interested in heading with them to Winterhold. At this point he was almost certain she wasn't any sort of assassin. She could have easily left him to the trolls if she really just wanted him dead and out of the way, or killed him afterwards when he was wounded, either directly after or while he was resting. The only lingering suspicion wold be if she might've been after something other than his death, but if that were the case, he couldn't fathom any idea as to what that might've been.

Either way, so far he didn't have much reason not to trust her. He wouldn't let his guard down completely, but he wasn't outwardly suspicious anymore at any rate. Not for now, anyway.

Rolling her shoulders, she pulled the tatters of her sleeve up to check on her wound, glad when she didn't see any fresh blood or feel any pain. Letting her sleeve fall back, she nodded towards Allen before asking, "Do you want me to go first again?" Without waiting for an answer, she started on the way to Whiterun, checking her direction with the moon.

As she walked, she did so with greater caution than she had earlier that day, knowing that more hidden threats could be hidden in the shadows of night than the light of day. As they met up with the main road, she stopped and asked, "Do you want to go on the road or just cut through these fields to the Hold?" Brushing hair out of her eyes, she looked back at him, her eyes traveling to just over his shoulder, squinting as she thought she saw something in the brush behind him.

"I think the main road should be fine," he decided after a moment. "The only thing to look out for is the fort up ahead, just off the road, since bandits tend to settle in there, but I don't think we'll be bothered as long as we don't walk right up to it. That's my experience anyway. Not long after that I know there's a watchtower where guards patrol the roads, better to be there than wandering blindly in the brush where wolves and sabres are probably hunting right about now."

He noticed Erin seemed to have her attention on something and shifted his gaze in the direction she was squinting, dropping his voice to near a whisper. "See something?"

"Shh," Erin whispered, holding a finger up to her lips. Lowering her voice so that it was barely audible, she said, "Don't turn to look...I think someone's in those bushes." Discretely gesturing towards a grouping of bushes with her eyes, she felt for wind, thinking that the shifting in the brush could be from that, but she felt none.

Summoning fire to her palms, she slowly approached the bushes, moving past Allen. Before she could get close enough to do anything, an arrow whipped past her head, grazing her left cheek, blood immediately dripping from the cut. Shouting out in pain, she sprinted forwards, sending forth fire as soon as she was close enough, before calling back to Allen, "Go on ahead and get safe!"

Allen tensed as an arrow cut through the darkness, sidestepping it before it could land a hit on him but hearing it whizz by. Indecision played across his face for a moment as Erin called out for him to find someplace safe and leave her to deal with it, not being one to leave others to danger if he could help it. Of course Erin was certainly skilled enough on her own...a lot more than he was at the moment, if the battle with the trolls had been any indication, but that wasn't to say that their attacker wasn't just as skilled.

Of course he was also more injured, the wound to his side still troubling him. After a moment he reluctantly retreated down the road, rationalizing he'd probably be more of a hinderance than a help, much to his chagrin, but if it really was an assassin he wasn't sure he'd be able to rain down a final blow if it came to that. He had faced various dangerous characters and scum of all kinds before, but he certainly wasn't a killer himself.

Momentarily, he glanced back over his shoulder, still able to see the bright flames of one of Erin's spells illuminating the night. _She'll be fine,_ he tried to rationalize, despite the impulse to turn back and help her. _She fought off a troll and a half almost no problem, she can handle one person._ With that (reluctantly) in mind, he dashed down the road and across a small stone bridge, past Fort Greymoor, and to the left of the fork that he remembered(after countless times trying to find and losing his way to Whiterun in the past) led to Whiterun Hold.

It was about halfway between the old bandit-run fort and watchtower that he slowed, out of breath and his gut aching more fiercely once more, the teen stopping and leaning with hands on his knees for support. He felt his side with one hand but didn't think it was bleeding again. Briefly he surveyed his surroundings and decided to take refuge in a small, broken house off the side of the road, one that he knew was long-ago abandoned after a fire.

Surveying his surroundings carefully, he ducked into it, some of the walls and the stone chimney still standing, he peaked his head around to gaze out into the tundra, his eyes searching for a figure approaching from the direction he'd come, hopefully Erin. A soft wood _clunk_ made him jump and whirl around, drawing his blade from it's sheathe but no one was there. His eyes did wander to the wood table still partially left after the fire, cocking his head slightly as he approached. He was sure the...whatever it was...hadn't been there before.

As he drew close, he noted that the object was round, a tarnished gold in coloration. _Dwemer artifact, _he guessed. A pair of small, curved horns portruded from it's head, a long tail with a tuft at the end snaking along the length of the table, and a pair of wings resting downward, with gold-yellow feathers. The teen's eyes widened somewhat as he gazed at the thing, his heart rate picking up somewhat.

_This item belonged to my Master, I recognize it from his room. What is it doing here?_ He strained his senses, squinted his eyes into the darkness as he whirled his head one way or the other, listening intently, but no sound gave away any sort of lurking enemy. After a moment the object moved, flapping it's wings and startling him, before it lifted itself airborne, flapping in front of him.

The albino's eyes widened even further, the youth blinking several times, dumbfounded. _It's moving...on it's own._ He thought redundantly and in disbelief. Was it the work of some sort of magick? Was someone controlling it?

The..._thing_...opened up into a toothy snarl, baring it's fangs at him, or perhaps it was...was it a grin? Was the thing _smiling_ at him? He noticed now, a small roll of tied paper clasped between it's teeth, getting the vague impression that the gold dwemer-looking device was waiting for him to take it. Was someone sending a messenger to him? _It could be Komui's doing, he likes to tinker into dwemer machinery after_ _all_, he thought idly. _Then again it could be the very assassins that killed Master too._

With a bit of caution, he took the paper, watching it intently to make sure it wouldn't try and bite off his fingers. When he had them pulled back and safe from it's teeth, he pulled the small bit that kept it tied together and unrolled it. It really wasn't a very large piece of paper, barely big enough to need to hold it rolled out. It was difficult to read in the darkness of night, but after a moment he managed to make out the words, even as the gold sphere fluttered over to fly in place just over his shoulder, as if reading it as well.

**_Dear Allen,_**

**_Just in case I'm not around to give this to you personally, I've written this message. The gold flying thing is yours, consider it a gift of sorts. It's name is Timcanpy, take good care of it._**

**_-Cross_**

Once again Allen was left blinking for a few moments in confusion, not entirely sure what to think. This..._Timcanpy_...thing...his Master was giving it to him? For a moment he wondered if it could be a trick, but the little doodle of his master in the corner, and the handwriting, told him it was definately written by Cross. And he knew he had seen it sitting on the desk in his Master's room in the top floor of Proudspire Manor before.

After a moment his gaze shifted to the flying...whatever it was supposed to be, huffing through his nose.

"So you're called _Timcanpy_, huh?" The creature seemed to perk slightly as he spoke to it and fluttered up to rest on top of his head, tail draping around his neck and seeming content to use his head as a perch. The ache in his side had lessened again and he walked back to the road only a few yards from the house, gazing down the path but there was no Erin in sight. He figured that she would be done fighting off whoever had attacked them and caught up by now...wouldn't she?

"Maybe I should go back..." he muttered, the weight from Timcanpy lifting off his head only to flutter around in front of him almost frantically, before over him and seeming to point with it's whole body towards Whiterun, almost as if telling him not to. But for all he knew, she could be in danger, and needing his backup. Idly he shifted his weight from one foot to the other in indecision.

Even if he went back...how much good would he be in his condition? His gaze swept back towards Whiterun again, which was still some ways into the distance, and he had an idea that might've been more helpful, making his way to the stone watchtower that wasn't far off. Torches were lit and illuminating the dark night and he could see the figures of guards patrolling around, sauntering up and calling, "Excuse me!"

The armored guard looked over at him inquiringly, his face hidden mostly in shadow from his helmet. "Yes?"

"My companion, a mage from Winterhold and I were attacked on the road...she might need your help." He explained, swivelling around and pointing. "That way, the north road off the fork by Fort Greymoor. I don't know by who or how many...but she has yet to catch up to me. I'd have stayed to fight, but we were attacked by trolls before then and I got injured."

The guard seemed to ponder this and hummed under his breath before walking down the path of the tower. "Alright, we'll check it out at least. You stay here, citizen. If your friend is alive out there, we'll bring her back here."

"Thank you," Allen returned gratefully, wondering if he should go along with them to help, but the throbbing in his wounds, and some deeper gut feeling, told him that it would be a bad idea. With a sigh of resignation, he took a seat on the stone of the watchtower's outer path, deciding that he wouldn't move until they returned with Erin.


End file.
